CHAP, vni,] PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCES. 



133 



Himalayas. On examinirig a mimber of these, it will be 

 seen that no two are alike, but all tlie variations correspond 

 to those of dead lea%'es. Every tint of yellow, ash, brown, 

 and red is found here, and in many specimens there occur 

 patches and spots formed of small black dots, so closely 

 resembling tlic way in which minute fungi grow on leaves 

 that it is almost impossible at first not to believe that 

 fungi have gi'own on the butterflies themselves ! 



If such an extraordinary adaptation as this stood alone, 

 itfivould be very difficult to ofl'cr any explanation of it ; but 

 although it is perhaps tlie most perfect case of protective 

 imitation known, there are hundreds of similar resem- 

 blances in natme, and from these it is possible to deduce 

 a general theory of the luanner in which they have been 

 slowly brought about. The principle of variation and that 

 of " natural selection," or survival of the fittest, as elabo- 

 rated by Mr. Darwin in his celebrated " Origin of Species," 

 offers the foiindation for such a tlieory ; and I have myself 

 endeavoured to aj^ply it to all the chief cases of imitation 

 in an aiticle published in the Wesiminskr Review for 1867, 

 entitled " Mimicry, and other Protective Resemblances 

 among Animals," to which any reader is referred who 

 wishes to know more about this subject 



In Suniatm, monkeys are very alnindant, and at Lobo 

 Raman they used to frequent the trees which overhaug 

 the guard-house, and give me a title opportunity of 

 observing their gambols. Two species of Semnopithecus 

 were most plentiful — monkeys of a slender form, with very 

 long tails. Not being much shot at they are rather bold, 

 and remain quite uncoiicemed when natives alone are 

 present ; but when I came ont to look at them, they would 

 stare for a minute or two and then make off. They take 

 tremendous leaps from the branches of one tree to those of 

 anotlier a little lower, and it is very amusing when one 

 strong leader takes a bold jump, to see the others following 

 with more or less trepidation ; and it often happens that 

 one or two of the last seem quite unable to make up their 

 minds to leap till the rest are disappearing, wheuj as if in 

 desperation at being left alone, they throw themselves 

 frantically into the air,, and often go clashing through the 

 slender hi-anches and fall to the ground. 



